[ZeroByte]

Hey everyone - My Impreza is set to be delivered to the dealer in a couple of days, and I will probably pick it up next week. I have been looking forward to it for a couple of months now. For those of you that say "it is so underpowered" or "I wish I got something with a larger engine," is that because you had / have something else that has a lot more power, or is it really that bad to live with every day? For me, it was fine on the test drive, and I did wish it had a bit more torque, but I did not think it was as bad as some other cars I drove. Other than wishing it had a bit more torque, the car checks every other box: AWD, manual, hatchback, cloth seats (yeah I know I am weird, but I like cloth seats), a relatively simple car.

I know everyone is different, and at the end of the day, I have to decide if it is a problem for me. However, I wanted to get some perspectives. Is the lack of power really that bad? Does the car have trouble getting onto the highway, going up hills, passing on the highway?

 

[blazeyellowwrx]

I feel the car has a lot of trouble going onto the highway without dropping it into 3rd n flooring it. You will learn to maintain your momentum pretty well. It is still a very fun car to drive. The car is only slow depending on your frame of reference. If you havent ever owned a fast car it shouldnt bother you.

 

[sedrubaru]

I have the manual 2018 base hatch. I've owned everything from sport coupes to minivans. It's neither a quick or fast car but it's not a Mirage either. The last ignition recall/ECU reflash seemed to fix a lot of my gripes with the power band. There were legitmately times where I floored it, the RPMs would climb but the car would barely move. I still feel the car could be way better with like 15-20 more torque or a more aggressive factory tune but on a day to day basis it's fine. Passing people on the highway quickly still merits being in the top part of the RPMs. Recently, I was on the Merrit Parkway thru NJ/NY (decent inclines) and it had some issues on the hills but that was 80-ish MPH in 5th. Normal hills at lower gears have been no issue. I feel the Impreza is kind of in a class of it's own due to AWD, stick shift and price but ultimately there are other hatches and entry crossovers that are peppier. It's got a very comfy ride and is a solid highway and backroad cruiser. I'm still very happy with my purchase, almost 2 years later.

 

[allblacksubi]

Its not that bad. It’s a bit overblown and the car is still very fun to drive. You’ll enjoy it if it holds up well.

 

[Zeroptzero]

The car is underpowered a bit, but it isn't as bad as many car reviews make it out to be IMO. My other car is 2019 WRX , but I don't find the Impreza that bad when changing cars back and forth. I have the CVT and I think it is a great match for the engine as it keeps the engine at optimal rpms in most conditions. I got rid of my HR-V and it was terrible getting up to speed for highway entrances, but the Impreza is much better and doesn't feel like there is any issue in that regard. I think it is okay and not as bad as some make it sound. I never drove the manual version of the car though.

 

[Pooter]

I have zero complaints with the power on this car. Though I’ve always owned small 4 cylinders. This Subaru accelerates plenty fast enough for me!

 

[ZeroByte]

Thanks everyone.
Blaze - I definitely get your point about frame of reference. I thought that maybe people found the Impreza slow because they are used to more powerful cars. The fastest car I have owned was a Legacy GT, but that was a while ago. I am used to Civics and the like, and I feel like the Impreza fits in with those.

sedrubaru - I appreciate the insight. I have several inclines similar to ones on the Merritt on my daily commute, so we will see how that goes. There was a decent hill on the test drive, and I had to down shift from 4th to 3rd to keep RPMs up, but I would not say the car struggled. I also test drove a Toyota iM (not AWD, but at least it was a manual hatchback), and that thing had so much trouble getting up a similar hill even when flooring it. It was awful.

Its not that bad. It’s a bit overblown and the car is still very fun to drive. You’ll enjoy it if it holds up well.

allblacksubi - Could you explain "holds up well"? Are these cars known to have particular issues? I know about the recalls, but is there something else going on?

Zeroptzero - Your insight about the WRX is really helpful. I was looking at one but decided against it because it was not a hatchback. Also, the insurance was a lot more for a WRX than the Impreza . Maybe if I learn the car and can keep it in optimal RPMs with the manual, that will be the way to drive it.

Pooter - That is reassuring to hear. Are you used to Civics, Corollas, stuff like that? They make similar power but are FWD. No idea if that makes a difference on the butt dyno though. I have not driven a Civic in a while, but from what I remember, the Impreza felt similar in terms of power.

 

[jamesbond006]

What you heard is true, this is a very slow vehicle.

 

[tzd]

Does the car have trouble getting onto the highway, going up hills, passing on the highway?

No trouble with these activities. How it feels to me is like a diesel engine - it actually has decent torque for climbing up hills, I really enjoyed doing that, but what it doesn't have that punch for quick acceleration.

The scenario where it fails me the most is when you're driving with heavy traffic all around you and you see an opening in the other lane that you want to insert yourself into... something that I could have done easily in my previous car - an Audi 2.0T, but I wouldn't dare to do it with this car. In a way it makes you a safer driver

 

[allblacksubi]

allblacksubi - Could you explain "holds up well"? Are these cars known to have particular issues? I know about the recalls, but is there something else going on?
Impreza felt similar in terms of power.

Mine was a lemon, others have had issues and moved on to the Crosstrek. This model is made in America while the Crosstrek is made in Japan, and this may rub people the wrong way, but it’s clear it’s an American made product. Take that as you will.

 

[theblindchicken]

Moving from a late 90's tahoe and a 70's pickup, the 5th gen is half the weight of either one and roughly half the power as well. It's a fun, zippy car. I wouldn't call them fast since they're designed as economic, commuter cars that have the versatility of doing well and getting through just about all road conditions. It's fun to drive around the city, highway, and especially up in the mountains. It's got enough power that you can easily earn yourself a speeding ticket without feeling like you're pushing the throttle through the floor just to hit 80+ mph. They handle well, but may have a tendency to follow the road surface which can make it a little darty/wandering on the highways if you're in a lane with different road surfaces or if it was repaired at different times. The hatchbacks can also be affected by crosswinds a little more due to the additional broadside surface area of the hatch.

 

[ferraiolo1]

It’s your typical eco car. It’s not that different than any other car in its class.

It’s not slow like a old pinto. But it’s not a race car.

You won’t win any races. But If you accept it for that it is, it’s adequate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[peaty]

I guess it's all relative. The other day my wife took my car to work and said it was fast. She drives a 2013 OB with the CVT. Mine is a stick and I think that helps a lot. I've had a lot of Subaru's and while I won't say this is slow, it's not fast or quick. With a stick you can still have fun though. I traded in my 2016 BRZ for my 2019 Impreza Sport, manual. I really missed the AWD. People complain the BRZ is slow I thought it was fine for an NA car. I just put away my Impreza and got my summer car out this weekend. It's a 1999 Miata and it only has a 1.8l motor, it is light though. The Miata is slow too but again very fun to drive. I think where I feel the lack of power the most with the Impreza is when you need to put your foot down and pass. You really need to downshift and plan passing. I gave my son my 2010 Legacy 3.6R. I drove it again not too long ago. I forgot how quick that feels when you put your foot down. It has torque on tap, the Impreza not so much. Honestly I think you will be fine, if you wanted quick you'd get a WRX

 

[SUPRARU]

I think it's god awful slow. I know this though and I drive it like a normal person would. It's my daily driver for work and I drive 70 miles a day mostly highway. When I want to drive fast I take my M240 to work or where I'm going. Now that car is fun. lol

 

[BruceP]

It is silly for people to complain about the lack of power when they KNOW what they are buying. The Impreza is an ECONOMY car. There should be no expectation of massive power.

For me, the Impreza is just fine. It does exactly what it is supposed to do. Point A to Point B reliably and has AWD to boot.

I have never EVER felt the need for more power with my Impreza. It has far better accelleration than many vehicles I have owned in the past. (I have owned vechicles whch had trouble maintaining the legal speed-limit up a hill)

 

[Zeroptzero]

The 0-60 and 1/4 mile times indicate a very slow vehicle, but it doesn't feel as slow as the numbers may indicate as the gearing makes the best of the engine power. Driving around today I was comparing it to other vehicles around me and it had no issues keeping up or pulling ahead and I didn't have to push it very hard. It has enough response and gearing to keep it from landing on its face.

 

[PDawg]

I rarely go over half throttle and I'm the fastest car on the streets and highways around Chicago 99.9% of the time. To be fair having the CVT will make it seem a lot quicker since you can instantly get into the power band at any speed at anytime and you have more "gears" when it's not in true CVT mode. I've been driving manuals for 25 years and still own one (350z) , but you should ignore the negative reviews and test drive the Subaru CVT for yourself. I don't like automatics but the CVT is an exception, it makes the car feel much quicker in regular driving. But don't take my word for it, drive one. To be fair Semi's take over a minute to hit 60 miles an hour but they seem to make it.

 

[Zeroptzero]

I rarely go over half throttle and I'm the fastest car on the streets and highways around Chicago 99.9% of the time. To be fair having the CVT will make it seem a lot quicker since you can instantly get into the power band at any speed at anytime and you have more "gears" when it's not in true CVT mode. I've been driving manuals for 25 years and still own one (350z) , but you should ignore the negative reviews and test drive the Subaru CVT for yourself. I don't like automatics but the CVT is an exception, it makes the car feel much quicker in regular driving. But don't take my word for it, drive one. To be fair Semi's take over a minute to hit 60 miles an hour but they seem to make it.

That's exactly how I feel driving around town, I am really surprised it drives as well as it does. When I drove my Honda S2000 around town with 240 hp it seemed like a lot of work to keep up with traffic, the Impreza feels alright though with much less power.

I think the CVT is a big benefit. I have a CVT in my WRX and it works great too in that car, it just pulls away effortlessly.

 

[ZeroByte]

Thanks for the insights everyone. It has been great reading through all of the responses. I did not put the deposit down on the Impreza thinking it was going to be a WRX , so I think if I appreciate it for what it is, it will be fine. Strangely enough, I was cross shopping the Impreza with a Golf R (one of the few other new AWD manual hatchbacks I am aware of). I did not feel the Golf was worth almost $20K more than the Impreza. It was nice, but it seemed like there was a lot of cost cutting on that car. That is okay for a $22K car, but not a $40K one. I am driving a heavy body on frame SUV right now that probably has a little less than twice the power of the Impreza on paper but weighs almost twice as much . Maybe it will even out .

It is strange perhaps, but I really want a manual transmission. Every car I have ever owned except for my current car has been a manual. I definitely get why people like automatics / CVTs, but rowing my own gears makes me feel more connected to the driving experience. I really missed that, and I made it a requirement for the car when I was shopping.

 

[lusciousndelicious]

Ive had my 2017 sport since September 2018 and I have had no problems. Sure it has on average 20-30 less horsepower compared to something like a golf, or civic. But the car feels nimble and light on its feet to where I don’t necessarily feel like its slow. Keep in mind, I have had owned an STi, and of course its slower than that. But still no problems with power from daily driving.

I drove from Michigan to Georgia through Kentucky and Tennessee where it got pretty mountainous and it still was perfectly fine going up the inclines.

A lot of the “youtube reviewers” constantly whine and complain about the impreza and crosstrek being horribly slow, but thats just stupid and pathetic accusations when they compare it to the older NA Imprezas and GD platform WRXs.